Gearing Up
by Rumour of an Alchemist
Summary: It's the morning of September the first, 1991, and Professor Filius Flitwick has been summoned to the headmaster's office for a discussion of some of this year's pupils... Teaser piece, presenting background material for my 'Saint Potter' crossover story. Alternate Universe. Reference to non-canonical canon characters.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I am not J K Rowling. I do not own Harry Potter. I am not Leslie Charteris. I do not own The Saint.

Note: The following is by way of a teaser/piece of background material for the 'Saint Potter' crossover story I'm working on, and features an encounter between Filius Flitwick and Albus Dumbledore in the headmaster's office in Hogwarts. The Sorting Hat is also present. The date is September the first, 1991, and the staff are gearing up for a new school year.

This is set in an alternate universe which was impacted by The Saint, and some characters and events have diverged from canon.

* * *

"I came via the great hall, since I was curious to see Severus' speech this year. It was very rousing." Professor Flitwick said to the Hogwarts headmaster. "'A new power is rising in the west, and the name of that power is Hogwarts. And that power begins with we who are gathered in this hall right now, underpinning everything that happens here.' Very exciting stuff."

"I could hear the house-elves whistling and stamping from here." the headmaster responded. "Sometimes, I think Severus gets a little carried away in his duties as caretaker, and imagines that it's the age of a goblin rebellion, and he and his 'army' of helpers are the last hope of civilisation."

"They enjoy it. And happy, enthusiastic, house-elves make for a better run school." the charms professor pointed out.

"Be that as it may," the headmaster did not dispute the point, but moved on, "since Barty Crouch somehow failed to locate Kara Black to serve due process, despite having almost a decade to do so, Miss. Black will be arriving at Hogwarts later today, as an underage witch, and her fate and that of the trust which her late father, Regulus, set up matters almost as much to the school as the house-elves. Given her importance, I seem to recall that I sent you to personally deliver her Hogwarts letter, Filius. Remind me of her leanings and character."

"She's annoyed that she and her mother had to spend so long in hiding from the magical authorities to avoid the Black fortune and properties being confiscated. As far as an eleven year old is capable of it, she has something of a grudge against the former minister. On the other hand, she's tremendously proud of her father and what she's heard of him, and is eager to see exactly what has been going on here thanks to the Black foundation."

"House leaning?" the headmaster asked.

"You know I don't like to try and pre-guess sortings, headmaster." Professor Flitwick said.

"If I gave you five galleons to place, the winnings to get something for your Ravenclaw library, and the loss entirely my own personal cost to bear, how would you put it?" the headmaster asked.

"Don't mind me." the Sorting Hat snorted from the mantelpiece, when Filius gave it a wary glance. "I ignore pretty much everything you lot say about how you expect sortings to go, anyway. Just so long as I'm dusted down properly before I'm taken out, I'm unlikely to be biased towards any sorting by anything you say."

"I'd put three galleons on Slytherin and keep the rest, so I was sure to get something." Professor Flitwick said. "She's _proud_ of her father."

"Well, her father _was_ a Slytherin but a worthy one." the headmaster said thoughtfully. "Still, I think that this year, I shall direct our friend here, the hat, to be extra careful in how it sorts students, and not to accept 'well my father was in _x-x-x_' as the sole reason for a placement."

"If you wish to direct me to ignore family traditions, and to place students where I feel best that they fit – assuming the most obvious choice would not endanger them in some way – then by all means do so." the Sorting Hat chuckled. "_I_ don't have to deal with the howlers from enraged parents wanting to know why their precious little cherub has ended up in Ravenclaw instead of Hufflepuff after all."

"The last howler I had about a sorting was when you insisted on putting Percy Weasley in Slytherin, four years ago." the headmaster said mildly.

"If you'd seen what was inside his head at the time, you wouldn't have questioned why I put him there." the hat replied. "And I believe that the events of the past few years have more than justified my placement. It would have been a waste to put him in Gryffindor just because his closest relatives in several generations had all been there, and I note Molly raised nary a murmur of protest when I sent her twins to Ravenclaw two years ago."

"Yes, well, I think she would have concurred with your opinion that they are without doubt, outlandishly clever, and Ravenclaw is not such a burden for a traditionally Gryffindor family." the headmaster said.

"I doubt Minerva could have coped with those two." Filius said. "They certainly keep _me_ on my toes. Do we have any twins in this year's intake? It's always so fascinating to see them at work, especially if they end up in the same house."

"The MacDougal girls and the Patil girls, I believe." the headmaster said. "Minerva vaguely knows the MacDougal family, and thinks they could be Hufflepuffs. I neither know nor have heard anything of the Patils; well not beyond the details my contacts have supplied of the wands which they purchased."

"Anything exciting?" Professor Flitwick looked politely interested.

"Well not about the Patil girls." the headmaster adopted a canny look. "One got a dragon heartstring core, and the other a phoenix feather, suggesting they may have somewhat different temperaments. But the most exciting gossip about wands I heard all summer arose from events the day Severus went off on his errand and Gringotts had their unfortunate excitement. In half an hour on that day, Garrick sold two wands in most unexpected fashions. The first, the wand which would be the brother-wand to Voldemort's very own – should that latter wand still exist – went to a young lady by the name of Patricia Yaxley."

"To _who_?" Professor Flitwick asked.

"I must confess that was my reaction, too." the headmaster admitted. "I have made enquiries. Mother a minor member of the Yaxley family. Father some unknown wastrel believed to have got her drunk one night and taken most ungentlemanly advantage. I can make neither head nor tail of it. It makes no sense whatsoever, that some unknown girl should get so significant a wand."

"Was she born in July?" Filius asked.

"That was also my thought. Her birthday is the seventh of April. I checked most carefully. It is quite out of the question that the prophecy could have referred to her." the headmaster said. He went on. "The other wand _did_ go to The-Girl-Who-Lived. It was an Ollivander 'special' – something extraordinary and experimental with a core of unicorn hair and hammered silver wire. There is no conceivable way, Garrick was almost certain, before she walked into his shop, that a witch or wizard who would suit its temperament would ever turn up. And yet practically the moment he started measuring her, he was sure that that was _exactly_ the wand for her. It is my hope that if The-Girl-Who-Lived has such a wand, then that at least is a positive sign, even if it is not the brother-wand."

"She _does_ have a name, Albus, and you know you can't go calling her The-Girl-Who-Lived to her face." Filius sighed. "She's grown up – at your insistence, I might add – with practically _no_ knowledge of or contact with our world."

"That was necessary to keep her safe." the headmaster said. "Although I must confess that I find the streets around her reported address rather confusing, and awkwardly numbered. Neither I nor Minerva have been able to personally locate her residence in several tries. And I shall address Soapy by her name, rest assured."

"It's _Sophie_, headmaster. I believe 'Soapy' was a silly nickname James had for her when she was a baby, which I doubt she has heard used in close to a decade." Filius' sigh had an edge of polite exasperation to it this time.

"Ahh. That explains perhaps a great deal." the headmaster looked momentarily nonplussed. "Including a good many strange looks I have attracted in the Wizengamot over the years…"

* * *

Author Notes: (marginally revised and tidied, 16th September, 2012)

In this particular alternate universe, Severus Snape, in his role as Hogwarts' caretaker, is also commander-in-chief of the Hogwarts house elves. It made sense for the person responsible for maintaining the school to be in charge of those who do most of the maintaining and running of it outside of the classroom. The occasion in 1980 when in this alternate universe the school was invaded by Voldemort's forces over the summer (more on this in a later chapter) is also a factor in the increased role and responsibilities of the caretaker.

I'm unclear how Hogwarts is funded in canon, but in this universe, Regulus Black set up a foundation, financed from the Black fortune, to provide additional money to the school for certain areas of spending of which he approved. Regulus died before the end of the end of the wizarding war, leaving behind a widow and one daughter (Kara) who had to go into hiding for some time to avoid the attentions of unscrupulous politicians out to try and seize the family assets.


	2. Chapter 2

(revised, 2nd August (UK time), 2012 - a couple of sentences expanded, for hopefully improved sense.)

Disclaimer: I am not J K Rowling. I do not own Harry Potter. I am not Leslie Charteris. I do not own The Saint. I am not Sir. W. S. Gilbert nor Sir A. S. Sullivan. I do not own 'The Pirates of Penzance'.

Note: As with the preceding chapter, the following is by way of a teaser/piece of background material for the 'Saint Potter' crossover story I'm working on, and continues to feature events at the school on September the first, 1991, as the staff prepare for a new school year.

This is set in an alternate universe which was impacted by The Saint, and some characters and events have diverged from canon.

* * *

Given the almost last-minute change from the headmaster to the directions for the sorting, the Sorting Hat had called an emergency choir rehearsal in the great hall.

Different directions from the headmaster meant a different song, and this year the Sorting Hat was supposed to be making a show of things. That included a sorting song with refrain from chorus of house-elves (who would of course be hidden out of sight, come the evening).

'…_I'll judge you fair, your secrets keep and place you where you ought to be,_

_But cross me and depart these halls in consequential infamy._' the hat sang.

'_You'll be judged fair, your secrets kept, and be placed where you ought to be,_

_But cross it and depart these halls in consequential infamy._' the house elves dutifully chorused, as the song wound to a close.

"Okay, you can take a break." the Sorting Hat called out. "Half an hour to do other things, then back here for a final run-through before lunch."

The house elves began to disperse.

"Well?" the Sorting Hat asked Professor Flitwick, who had been listening thoughtfully.

"'Consequential infamy'?" the charms professor raised an eyebrow.

"I normally have a year to polish these things, Filius. The last minute change of directions from the headmaster to do a 'proper' sorting for once means I'm having to make virtually on-the-fly adaptations. If you have any suggestions suitable for an audience mostly consisting of school children which fit the tune, you have a little under half an hour to make them."

"Do I understand you're threatening to throw pupils out?" Filius asked.

"I'm within my rights to do so. Usually headmasters direct me to use considerable tact and discretion, so even the most outrageous of idiots gets in, but this year…"

"Does Albus realise what he's done?"

"Albus," the hat flapped its brim in a manner reminiscent of a human blowing a raspberry, "is busy worrying about the Black heiress possibly being sorted into Slytherin purely because her family has been for the past umpteen generations. Albus does not want any important foreigners complaining that families with traditions of sending pupils to Hogwarts get different treatment for their children. Albus wants his golden pupils sorted into Gryffindor because they have been Born Heroes, and not because their ancestors happened to be there. Albus is busy worrying about what the goblins have given him to worry about, and is taking some rather huge gambles."

"This is going to end badly, isn't it?" Filius sighed.

"It is certainly possible that things will turn out a way different from what the headmaster expects." the hat said.

"Emergency staff meeting, Filius." the deputy headmistress strode into the hall. "All teaching staff. The staffroom. Five minutes. Merlin knows what bee Albus has in his bonnet now."

* * *

"I have just received a copy of Molly's checklists from St. Pancras, and we appear to be absent a Girl-Who-Lived." Albus surveyed the hastily assembled teaching staff. "Obviously it is not yet a crisis. It is possible that she may somehow travel to and board the Express at a different station. But I had thought," he subjected Professor Lily Snape to a particularly hard stare, "that you had assured me that you saw her and her muggle guardian safely to St. Pancras."

"I _did_, headmaster. If there was any change of plan or anything happened to them, it must have been done between the entrance to the station where they dropped me off and platform three."

"The station car-park of a muggle railway station seems to me a little unlikely a place for an ambush by any die-hard followers of Lord Voldemort or other ne'er-do-wells." the headmaster said, perhaps a touch pointedly. "And I think we would have heard about it by now if there had been an incident of any kind actually in the station building. Clearly, Lily, they have changed their plans."

"Let me see the lists, headmaster. I don't understand. They were unhappy about the prospect of auror accompaniment, and I thought it best not to press the issue, but I _did_ put Erica on the Express, and I haven't heard anything from her to indicate there's been a problem, and she certainly has means to contact me if anything has happened – through the elves on the Express if nothing else." Lily started going through the lists.

"Obviously, Albus, we will have to notify the aurors at once, and get the hunt up as quickly as possible. Whilst it would be something we would regretfully accept if any other prospective first-year pupil got cold feet at the last minute and pulled out of Hogwarts, as indeed Miss. Parkinson has done, The-Girl-Who-Lived can clearly have no idea of all the potential deadly enemies she may have, if she thinks she can skip a magical education; for her own good she needs to spend a couple of years minimum at Hogwarts or some other reputable school." the deputy headmistress opined. "Let us pray that she and her guardian have _merely_ taken leave of their senses, and that this is not a kidnap or worse. We should probably also inform the muggle authorities, so that they can close their borders to them, since if The-Girl-Who-Lived and her guardian are on the run and intend to leave the country they will have to do so by aeroplane or ferry, and it will be impossible for them to leave without presenting documents at an airport or port. I would personally advise that…"

Lily snorted.

"Or you could just wait for Sophie to arrive at Hogwarts on the Express."

"Lily. Unless we take a proactive stance, Sophie isn't going to _arrive_ at Hogwarts." the headmaster said in a pained tone of voice. "She can't have got on the train at St. Pancras, since she never arrived on the platform – unless she used an invisibility cloak. Now that _is_ a possibility, I suppose." Suddenly, the headmaster looked _exceptionally_ thoughtful.

"She _did_ arrive on the platform." Lily said, passing the lists back to the headmaster. "One of the 'dummy names' Rufus Scrimgeour insisted on adding 'for security' has been ticked off. Sally Templar."

"So?" the headmaster peered at the lists.

"Headmaster: One of her great-grandfathers on the muggle side was called 'Simon Templar', and when I saw her at the Leaky Cauldron at the end of July _she was using that very name, 'Sally Templar'_."

"I don't understand." the headmaster looked puzzled. "How did she know the name would be on the list?"

"Clearly she's met Rufus or someone senior from his department, if he knows she uses the name." Lily replied. "I have no idea how or when."

"Why would she _want_ to use a false name at the barrier?" the deputy headmistress frowned.

"Because she's The-Girl-Who-Lived, Minerva, and perhaps she thought not waving her name around might be better security than a couple of hefty aurors?" Professor Flitwick suggested mildly.

"Hmm. Sounds tricksy to me. The chances of a Slytherin sort have just gone up in my favour, eh, Minerva?" Horace Slughorn jovially nudged her in the ribs.

"Honestly, Horace, Gryffindors are _perfectly_ capable of using simple strategems and tactics. We _have_ won the Hogwarts quidditch cup eight years in a row now, and I have high hopes that Mr. Flint will bring it home again this year."

The quidditch cup was something of a sore point with the head of Slytherin.

"Hmmmph. Standard Gryffindor bully-boy tactics, riding roughshod over any opposition. Effective at present, because no other house has found a workable counter to them, but lacking in finesse." he grumbled.

"Jealous, Horace?"

"Well, slightly, Minerva, but the wheel _will_ turn some day, mark my words."

"Getting back on topic, do I understand one of Miss. Potter's forebears was the same muggle held in high regard by our own History of Magic professor's husband?" Professor Quirrell, intruded.

"Probably." the headmaster shrugged. "Does it really matter, Quirinus? He was a muggle."

"He was more than just _any_ muggle, headmaster. He was at least as famous for a time in the muggle world as you are in ours. He once stopped…"

"Yes, Quirinus, I recall the fuss one of your predecessors in the position of muggle studies teacher made about him in the late sixties." the headmaster said. "It was useful for exciting the passions of some of the pupils at the time to see muggles as actual human beings rather than as mere animals."

"But don't you see, headmaster? His end was rather mysterious. There was something about a 'gas explosion' in the muggle press one day and that was it."

"He probably went senile and forgot he'd left an egg boiling or something, Quirinus." the headmaster said. "That muggle gas explosions are considered sufficiently frequent occurrences to be a standard cover employed by ministry officials covering-up magical disasters says all you need to know abut how dangerous some muggle technology can be and how careless the muggles who handle it can get."

"I think you're underestimating the valuable contribution Miss. Potter could perhaps make to the field of muggle studies some day, in perhaps answering great unanswered questions for us." Quirinus said in an injured tone of voice.

"If Miss. Potter made it onto the platform and likely boarded the train after all, then is there any need to keep us here, further, or can we get back to our preparations for the day?" Professor Wagner, the director of defence against the dark arts intruded. "It _is_ almost lunchtime."

"Hear, hear." added Pomona Sprout.

"No, that will be all for now," the headmaster said. "If you would discreetly contact the elves on the Express, Lily, and alert me if there should be a problem, but otherwise I believe that we can return to our preparations…"

* * *

Author Notes:

The snatch of Sorting Hat song which features is loosely based on 'The Major General's Song' from _The Pirates of Penzance_, and is sung to the same tune.

The checklists Albus has received are a copy of Molly Weasley's lists on which, whilst on duty at the barrier at St. Pancras, she ticked off the names of all arriving students. Once the Hogwarts Express departed St. Pancras, she forwarded a copy to Hogwarts, so that the school was informed of who had boarded there (and so action could be taken, if judged necessary, over students expected to board there who were apparently absent).

The 'Erica' who Lily refers to is the eldest Snape daughter, who would (if she weren't home-schooling) be a first year at Hogwarts this year.

The heads of houses are Filius Flitwick (Ravenclaw), Minerva McGonagall (Gryffindor), Pomona Sprout (Hufflepuff) and Horace Slughorn (Slytherin). Quirinus Quirrell is in muggle studies, and although Professor Richert Wagner is Hogwarts' long-term 'Director of Defence Against the Dark Arts' this year's actual defence against the dark arts 'teacher', Professor Jagmohan Singh, is on the Express.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I am not J K Rowling. I do not own Harry Potter. I am not Leslie Charteris. I do not own The Saint.

Note: As with the previous chapters, the following is by way of a teaser/piece of background material for the 'Saint Potter' crossover story I'm working on, and continues to feature events at the school on September the first, 1991, as the staff prepare for a new school year.

This is set in an alternate universe which was impacted by The Saint, and some characters and events have diverged from canon.

* * *

"Remus: This visit is unexpected, but not unwelcome." the headmaster beamed from behind his desk, welcoming his latest visitor to his office. "Come, make yourself comfortable." he gestured. "The Express crossed the Sark into Scotland a short while back, and the castle is now a veritable hive of activity as we prepare to receive the pupils for the start of the new school year. Fawkes has been going back and forth all day for me, and is currently awaiting the Express' call at Carstairs, to bring me a copy of the final pupil embarkation checklists. Minerva has removed the Sorting Hat for a quick spruce-up, and many of the other staff are off making last-minute counts of supplies and checking the nooks and crannies of classrooms for any boggarts which may have crept in over the summer."

"It's always good to return to Hogwarts, headmaster, but I am the bearer of ill tidings, I fear." Remus Lupin replied settling himself into a chair. "There is a rumour amongst my former fellow-sufferers in the werewolf community that one of your staff has been claiming to have access to elixir of life, and that at least one young werewolf may be heading in this direction in the hope of obtaining a dose 'by any means necessary'."

"The elixir may cure a great many harms and ills, but it does not cure lycanthropy, alas, and if any of my staff _have_ discovered how to make their own stone and elixir, they have neglected to tell me about it. Still, given what you say, it would be as well for me to inquire at the first staff-meeting once term is properly underway. I suppose it is _possible_ that I may be harbouring an unexpectedly modest budding genius." the headmaster said thoughtfully. "When you say 'young werewolf' exactly _how_ young?"

"Maybe twenties." Remus frowned. "Probably too young to have fought in the war, or to have been a member of the Wolf Guard and to maybe want such a thing for healing for themself. He or she could be working at the behest of an older werewolf, unable to travel, though."

"If your information is correct, let us hope that it is purely on such an errand of mercy that such a werewolf may be acting – that there is nothing more sinister afoot here than a desire to heal old war-wounds…" The headmaster paused. "I shall notify Magical Law Enforcement, and perhaps they will post someone to Hogsmeade to watch for troublemakers, but I have little doubt that they will grumble at me for not having specific names for them to watch for. I regard it as exceptionally unlikely that one or two werewolves would be so bold as to try to hassle my staff here in the castle, and if they do their ability to cause physical mischief should be limited."

"_Is_ there something going on, headmaster? It seems a little odd that this should arise _now_ of all times, just as a new school year is about to commence and one in which particular pupils are due to start at Hogwarts."

"It is a mere coincidence, of that I am sure." the headmaster beamed. "It is likely connected to something which blew up over the summer, but it is completely unrelated to our new pupils, of that I am certain."

There was a moment of silence as both men apparently contemplated things.

"I should have had her, you know." Remus said. "James' daughter. I could have kept her safe."

"She had a surviving grandparent, and had _he_ not been available, there was a muggle godmother, too." the headmaster sighed. "It was for the best for everyone that she grow up away from our world, unaware of her magical heritage but safe from enemies who might have meant her harm. I know that you and James were close friends, and it must have hurt not to have been able to have contact with his child, but given how badly we all misjudged Sirius it was for the best that she wasn't anywhere there could be witches and wizards visiting. A slip of the tongue about her around anyone in the magical community could have been too swift in finding unfriendly ears. I did not trust _myself_ in this. It would have been illogical therefore to have trusted anyone else."

"If you say so." Remus said after an awkward moment or two. "I worry, though, that she will be too little her father's daughter after all this time. I know that with the war on and so forth that her maternal grandfather had precious little contact with James, and I… well, I suppose I was hoping in despite of that for another generation of Marauders, to serve the cause." He hesitated. "I don't suppose you ever found James' cloak after all these years?"

"Not the slightest sign of it." the headmaster shook his head. "I searched the wreckage of the house most thoroughly for it and found nothing. It is possible, I suppose, that little Soapy's grandfather may have retrieved it for some reason, but the man is a muggle and the chances of his having known what it was or thought to retrieve it are minimal. The absence of wands from the ruins suggests a more likely scenario that at least one Death Eater survived and was in good enough shape to retrieve the wands of his or her fallen comrades, loot anything else of interest, and to abscond from the scene before the grandfather arrived. Still, I will keep a very careful eye out, in case the cloak surfaces at Hogwarts this year. It would be a great relief to me on a number of counts, if I find it in the hands of The-Girl-Who-Lived."

"I understand you not wanting me to try to find her at her home address, but would it be possible for me to meet with Sophie?" Remus asked. "Here at Hogwarts, during the school year?"

"Hmm. It might be possible during a weekend, but you will have to go through the usual channels for clearance, including whomever her head of house ends up being. I'd love to bend the rules for you, Remus, but given a private project that I have running at present about which we have 'had words', I fear my caretaker would mutiny if I tried to make an exception of security for you – as he would if I tried to make an exception for anyone. It's not a question of it being about you. He was arguing vociferously the other day with the undersecretary about the Minister's intentions to attend the Sorting tonight. He gave the poor man quite an earful."

"It's good to know there's someone around prepared to speak their mind and put politicians firmly in their place." Remus chuckled. "And Merlin knows if anyone of my generation earned a right to speak plainly, it's your caretaker, given what happened here in the summer of 1980."

"Ah yes, the Battle of Hogwarts. Not one of my more glorious moments, I fear. Seldom would anyone have been more justified in saying to me after the event '_I told you so_.' Beyond a few pithy comments he restrained himself from doing so in a quite marvellous fashion." The headmaster pulled a face. "Unfortunately for me, his good lady was not quite so magnanimous, and gave me quite an ear-bashing. Nevertheless, Remus, she remains one of my favourite former Gryffindor students to this day, along with present company of course."

"I'm still not sure that it's a good idea for headmasters to _have_ favourites. Not that _I_ object or ever objected to _being_ one. Still, you doubtless know what you are doing, and having brought you my own bit of news I shall excuse myself and escape before Hagrid tries to press me into helping him round up the thestrals for harness or something. He tried to buttonhole me on my way in, and I fear he may be lurking in ambush somewhere." Remus got up in readiness to leave. "Rest assured though that I shall return at some point in the next few weeks to try to arrange to see Sophie."

"Goodbye, Remus, and call again soon by all means; if you can find the time, try and set up an evening with me. I miss our games of chess."

"You miss having someone unafraid to be soundly beaten by you, you mean." Remus joked. "Good day."

* * *

Author Notes:

The 'Sark' to which Dumbledore is referring in this chapter is a river which for part of its course forms the border between England and Scotland, and as far as I can determine is the border at the point that the railway line that the Hogwarts Express is running along crosses between England and Scotland.

Canon isn't completely clear (as of the time of my writing this in August 2012) on all the properties of 'elixir of life'. Since Lord Voldemort believes it offers him a possible means for him to regain a body, it seems reasonable to me to assume that it might be able to repair serious injuries or maimings, and in the early part of their conversation in this chapter Remus and Dumbledore are speculating on whether a werewolf injured in the Wizarding War beyond the means of other magic to repair that injury might be seeking for a dose of elixir as a remedy. Given that canon says that there is no known cure to lycanthropy (from the perspective of British witches and wizards), but the elixir is definitely 'known' to British magical society (even if incredibly rare), I'm going with the elixir _not_ being able to affect the condition of lycanthropy itself in this universe under regular use.

In the alternate universe in which Saint Potter is set, Lord Voldemort made highly effective use of werewolves during the Wizarding War, and those permanently allied to him were formed into a semi-military organization known as 'The Wolf Guard'. For much of the Wizarding War they proved highly effective allies, going virtually unchecked in every mission that they undertook, until at one of the key points of the war Lord Voldemort launched a surprise attack on Hogwarts during the summer holiday of 1980. The Wolf Guard played a major role in the assault and the battle which developed, taking noticeable casualties for the first time in the war at the hands of the castle's defenders. Whilst the headmaster of Hogwarts had ignored several warnings, failed to make any proper preparations or to authorise the plugging of obvious holes in the castle's security, and was caught completely unprepared for an attack on the castle (and spent much of the battle trapped in his office), Lord Voldemort had failed to anticipate the resistance that the castle's house-elves were capable of providing. The battle seemed to be deadlocked for a while, before Lord Voldemort ordered a withdrawal of his forces after personally encountering unexpectedly fierce resistance and magic which he had never come across before - he deemed it an unacceptable risk to his person to try and battle against unfamiliar spells at unfavourable odds.

Oh yes, the headmaster's still at it referring to Sophie as 'Soapy'. It's a habit he's got into for a decade or so, and it's become somewhat ingrained and hard to change at such short notice...

For readers familiar with canon, as of September the first, 1991, the menace in the pink cardigan, Dolores Umbridge is _not_ currently undersecretary to the Minister for Magic in this universe. She's busy elsewhere. The current undersecretary is a wizard by the name of Melchior Bagshot, distantly related to Bathilda Bagshot.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling. I do not own Harry Potter.

Note: As with the previous chapters, the following is by way of a teaser/piece of background material for the 'Saint Potter' crossover story I'm working on, and continues to feature events at the school on September the first, 1991, as the staff prepare for a new school year.

This is set in an alternate universe which was impacted by The Saint, and some characters and events have diverged from canon.

* * *

"Ah, Filius." the headmaster glanced up from the sheet of parchment he was currently doodling on with a quill. "I was just readying my speech for this year's feast. You have something you wish to say?"

"The Express is running late, headmaster. They've run into poor weather north of the Midland Valley, and had to slow down for safety reasons with the reduced visibility of lineside signals."

"The season of mists is upon us, and I had already heard that news from Minerva, but thank-you nonetheless, Filius." The headmaster glanced at the head of Ravenclaw shrewdly. "You must have suspected I had already heard. Was there something else you wished to say?"

"You _are_ going to warn the pupils to keep out of the dangerous section of the third floor corridor, aren't you?" Professor Flitwick sighed. "Warn them in a manner which is actually _effective_, and doesn't cause them to go snooping?"

"In a school full of children, the urge to snoop will be unfortunately irrepressible in some, I suspect." the headmaster said. "However, I intend to be sufficiently frank in a manner calculated to hopefully minimise visits by the curious. I do not _enjoy_ having to do what is being done here this year, Filius, but the goblins have been leaning on me, and Remus Lupin, within the past hour or so, brought me tidings that I fear confirm that there is a malevolent entity out there – most likely Voldemort or some lieutenant who escaped Azkaban – seeking for one thing in particular."

"Headmaster. Some of the things we've put in place at your behest are outright _lethal_. I have no idea precisely what Richert's done, but I know that he's been corresponding with Professor Singh over the summer for lore regarding some Indian entity known as _Kali_. And I _have_ seen the jungle Pomona's planted and that alone looks bad enough. I sincerely _hope_ that the pupils will stay out."

"I am certain that between Fluffy and a rotating guard shift of members of staff when Hagrid takes Fluffy out for 'walkies', that no pupils will get further than the trapdoor. I am confident that even if any do lift it and take a quick peek through that what they glimpse will convince them to find other things to entertain themselves with. Since the only thing which might lead them to believe otherwise is an incautious word from a member of staff – which I hope will _not_ be forthcoming from anyone – the pupils should all remain perfectly safe and out of our deathtrap."

"I still don't like it, Albus."

"Neither do I, Filius, my old friend, but you of all people should know what goblins can be like. And they are most insistent that if I _do_ have any traitors on my staff who may have played a part in the Gringotts raid, that I take all steps necessary to make them show their true colours and to turn them over to the appropriate authorities. Although to be quite frank, Filius, I would hope I would have found it in myself to have taken steps even without any goblin pressure. A rogue member of staff is at least as dangerous in the long-term to the well-being of our young charges as a series of well-alarmed rooms filled with hazards might be in the short-term. You must remember what it was like in the seventies with some of the defence teachers we had back then."

"All too well, sadly." Professor Flitwick shuddered. "I spent enough months trying to pick up pieces after yet another defence teacher disappeared under a cloud. I quite agree if we have an untrustworthy colleague we need it out in the open. I just wish we could do this an alternative way."

"I considered the alternatives, and none of them are any more palatable. Any teacher involved at Gringotts will know the raid failed and that the goblins must be on the warpath. They will _have_ measures in place to fool the most obvious tactics of legilimency or veritaserum unless I wish to be absolutely brutal in the use of such, and such brutality might well damage half a dozen perfectly innocent members of staff before I uncovered one guilty one. This way, where any guilty party exposes him or herself, is considerably better – especially given the steps I have been able to take this year to ensure that staff cannot coerce or force children into aiding any schemes."

"Well if you'd like to run the relevant section of your speech past me, it would still set my mind greatly at ease." Filius said.

"Very well then." the headmaster sighed. "Since you _are_ one of my longest serving members of staff I shall trial it out on you:" He cleared his throat. "First and foremost, a section of third floor corridor on the south side of the castle has been walled off, apart from one access door, since a large quantity of dangerous vegetation turned up in a subsection over the holidays. For the safety of pupils…"

* * *

Author Notes:

As with canon, various things have been set up in a subsection of the castle underneath a third floor corridor. The Hogwarts teachers know that there's something valuable that the headmaster has hidden there for the duration of the coming school year, but are under strict instructions _not_ to tell the pupils, and Albus' plan as regards the pupil population is to pass it off as just a boring plant infestation since Pomona Sprout's contribution _is_ a wide variety of highly hostile plant lifeforms (and any pupils who _do_ get to sneak a look under the trapdoor will be able to see for themselves that there is indeed a lot of dangerous greenery down below...). Albus is counting on not many pupils being enthusiastic gardeners and wanting to investigate that sort of thing any further. In theory it _ought_ to work.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I am not J. K. Rowling. I do not own Harry Potter.

Note: As with the previous chapters, the following is by way of a teaser/piece of background material for the 'Saint Potter' crossover story I'm working on, and continues to feature events at the school on September the first, 1991, as the staff prepare for a new school year. The first couple of sections of this chapter involve head-girl Nymphadora Black, now arrived at Hogwarts, being asked to account for all the detentions she issued on the Express, and the last section involves Ravenclaw pupils Fred and George Weasley (also now at the school), having to explain their behaviour on the Express to their head of house, Professor Flitwick.

This is set in an alternate universe which was impacted by The Saint, and some characters and events have diverged from canon.

* * *

"A word, if you wouldn't mind accompanying me to my office, please, Nymphadora?"

The head-girl turned from where she stood adjacent to one of the weathered granite mounting blocks scattered around outside the main entrance to the castle to find that the headmaster had appeared from somewhere. He had a sheet of parchment covered in the head-boy's handwriting in hand, and a mildly quizzical expression fixed on his face. It looked to the head-girl rather like he was holding the list of the detentions she'd awarded earlier in the day, to the participants and bystanders in that brawl aboard the Express.

"I'm supposed to be supervising things here, sir." she said, indicating the haphazard procession of arriving thestral-drawn carriages, bringing pupils from the station.

"Mr. Snape is more than capable of managing the flow of traffic." the headmaster said.

In despite of herself, Nymphadora Black gulped. Out of the mist and darkness of this particular Highland evening, the school caretaker had suddenly materialised at the headmaster's side.

"Yes sir." she said.

* * *

"This seems to me to be rather a lot of detentions to hand out to pupils, five of whom haven't even been sorted yet." the headmaster said to the head-girl, several minutes later, running a theatrical finger down the list. They were now ensconced in the headmaster's office. The headmaster himself was seated, although he had not invited Nymphadora to join him in doing so, so she had had to remain standing. "Particularly to this 'Mr. Ronald Bilius Weasley'. At this point, I would like you to assist me in understanding what happened?"

"There was a fight, sir. Involving Mr. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, Mr. Malfoy, Miss. Davis, Mr. Crabbe, and Mr. Goyle. Seven pupils, sir, and Mr. Ronald Bilius Weasley launched the punch that kicked it off. And even after a prefect arrived and had broken up the initial fracas, Mr. Ronald Bilius Weasley grabbed the wand of another pupil, and aimed to hex a further still pupil who hadn't even been involved in the fight – but fortunately he was disarmed by his target. And then he made up a ridiculous story trying to blame everything on another first year, Mr. Neville Longbottom, who wasn't even present."

"Engaging in fisticuffs, attacking bystanders, and trying to blame one's own actions on someone else, are certainly all reprehensible to varying degrees. Still: The Weasleys _are_ an old family, with a long history of making valuable contributions to our society, and this singling out of one of their children for particularly vigorous punishment for his part in proceedings seems a little harsh." the headmaster said in a tone suggestive of mild reprimand. "He _is_ only a first year."

"We're on view to the international community this year, more than any other in recent history, sir. We have students so important attending that there were aurors on protection detail on the Express."

"Nevertheless…" the headmaster said. "There is a fine line between maintaining necessary discipline, and being overly draconian." He frowned. "Who exactly did Mr. Ronald Weasley attempt to hex anyway?"

"A first year girl. I'd seen her with Longbottom and Erica Snape earlier, and she and Erica had alerted the prefect to the potential crisis. I think she said her name was Sophie something. It began with 'T'. The surname, I mean."

The headmaster took out a list of first year students and scanned it, then slowly nodded to himself.

"I see. Well, in this case, you appear to have been not so unduly hasty as I had feared, Miss. Black. The detentions may stand, and I shall notify Professor McGonagall to add a couple more for Mr. Ronald Bilius Weasley, and an essay on 'why I must not steal other pupils' wands' from me. That will be all, thank-you. You may return to your scheduled duties of this evening."

The head-girl was sufficiently drilled in etiquette and refined a young lady as to not bat an eyelid at this sudden _volte-face_ from the headmaster.

Looked like Mr. Weasley had tried to hex one of the headmaster's favourites from this year's new pupils, she thought to herself as she headed off back to the arriving carriages.

* * *

"My office, now."

The Weasley twins, Fred and George, arriving in the Ravenclaw common-room were accosted by their head of house, Professor Flitwick, and he looked disappointed.

They exchanged glances, but were pretty sure that they knew what this was about.

They glumly fell in behind him.

"Please, sit." he invited, once they were inside and he had closed the door and cast a couple of charms to ensure privacy. He himself paced up and down, occasionally shaking his head.

At length he halted and looked at them, expectantly.

"Fred. George. Do you have _anything_ to tell me?"

They explained, taking it in turns.

"We were involved in a fight on the Express, professor."

"Our little brother, Ronald, got involved in a physical altercation with Draco Malfoy."

"With whom our family has history."

"Well, with the Malfoys, generally, that is."

"Obviously not with _Draco_, specifically, before now, since they disappeared from the wizarding world at the end of the war."

"The Malfoys, that is to say."

"Anyway since Draco seemed to be getting the better of Ronald."

"Inspired by natural filial devotion, we weighed in ourselves."

"And then some other passing firsties joined in."

"And it turned into quite a pileup."

"Fists flying."

"Bodies everywhere."

"Well, only seven of us, in total."

"But there were a fair few spectators too."

"Cheering us on."

"Or placing wagers."

"And then our _other_ brother at this fine institution showed up."

"The Ambitious Percy."

"The Prefect."

"With his shiny silver prefect badge."

"And he broke things up."

"Which to be fair to him, it _was_ his job to do."

"And he started to try and work out what was going on."

"And it was clear to him that things had gotten completely out of hand."

"So he sent for the head-girl."

"Which was a move of dubious nature."

"And she went ballistic."

"Still. Can't blame him. First day on the job, after all."

"Probably thought he couldn't risk showing favouritism or anything."

"What with us and Ronald being his brothers."

"So best to get Nymphadora in."

They both shuddered.

"I see. And was that the extent of it?" the professor asked.

"Err, no."

"Our idiot brother."

"Little Ronald."

"Whilst we were waiting for the head-girl to descend upon us."

"And disclose unto us her manifold wisdom."

"Spotted a firstie he thought he knew to be a boon companion of that vile wizard, Neville Longbottom."

"His thought, not our own."

"So he seized a wand."

"And made to hex her."

"But she responded."

"Shining golden-haired heroine that she was."

"Crowned with one of those peculiar muggle caps."

"Worn back-to-front."

"In that peculiar muggle fashion."

"By pulling forth her own wand from its goblin-wrought sheath."

"Although pulling is rather an understatement."

"Well-greased lightning was as nothing to the speed with which she drew."

"At any rate, she neatly disarmed Ronald whilst he was still pondering which jinx to attempt to use to smite her."

"Or more likely, knowing our brother, trying to remember _any_ jinx to use to smite her."

"This in front of multiple witnesses."

"Including our brother, The Prefect."

"But that was nothing to do with us."

"We were mere observers."

"Wondering if perhaps this girl with the forehead concealing cap."

"Might be in fact The-Girl-Who-Lived?"

"Despite certain rumours circulating on the Express that she was in disguise as our brother, Ronald."

"Although in Ronald's defence, the idea of anyone wanting to disguise him or herself as him is so perverse as to be in fact genius."

"Sadly, to the best of our knowledge it was indeed he who tackled Malfoy and thusly earned himself a huge wodge of DT's."

"And enticed us into his travails, getting us DT's of our very own."

"We are truly sorry, professor."

"For embarrassing you and our house."

The professor sighed.

"I recall that Mr. Snape caught you about the castle and handed you out detentions practically every other night, during your first term and a half at Hogwarts. But all through last year you kept yourselves right out of trouble, and went the whole year with scarcely a points deduction. I had hoped that it was a sign that two of my most promising students _had_ turned a corner." Professor Flitwick shook his head. "And now we have _this_, with you both throwing yourselves into some brawl with first-years. The pair of you are _third_-years. You could have ended things instantly with your wands in any one of half a dozen ways and not merited any blame yourselves so long as you'd shown reasonable restraint." He paused, and drew a deep breath, before going on. "If it's something as important to you as your _family_ involved, then that's every reason _not_ to get carried away by the heat or passion of a moment and to lose recourse to higher thought. The detentions the head-girl awarded you are going to have to stand, although I won't add to them. I hope to Merlin you're not going to embarrass me by jumping quite so hastily into something like this again in the future." He hesitated. "Okay. That's all. _This_ time. You have my permission to go."

"Thank-you, professor."

"For understanding."

"I'm your head of house." Professor Flitwick said. "It's part of my _job_ to try and understand."

The twins looked at one another, and guilty expressions flickered across their faces.

"Umm, professor."

"It's possible that Hagrid may be missing a firstie."

"There was this really _annoying_ boy."

"Who may have approached someone superficially resembling us."

"Who may have made derogatory comments regarding one Ronald Bilius Weasley's name."

"Whilst those two said pupils who resembled us still had their blood up from an earlier incident."

"Said firstie having in consequence been incapacitated and stuffed onto a luggage rack."

"Which would have been quite a feat of magic, given the dimensions of those things and the motion of the train, to ensure he remained safe and unobserved."

Professor Flitwick screwed his face up in an expression of momentary despair.

"Alright, you two: I want an essay from the pair of you by the end of the month on feuding in the goblin clans in the sixteenth century, a thousand words minimum. I want you to at least _appreciate_ how sticking up for your family taken to excess can end up. And now I have to go see Minerva in case Hagrid forgot to count the first-years at the station again and didn't immediately notice if he was any short."

* * *

Author Notes:

With regard to the Weasley twins' depth of vocabulary, they _are_ Ravenclaws in this particular alternate universe, and probably spent several hours on board the Express coming up with what they were going to say, figuring that they were going to have to give an account of themselves to their head of house.

And thanks to all who've reviewed this one so far.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I am not J. K. Rowling. I do not own Harry Potter. I am Not Leslie Charteris. I do not own The Saint.

Note: As with the previous chapters, the following is by way of a teaser/piece of background material for the 'Saint Potter' crossover story I'm working on, and continues to feature events at the school on September the first, 1991, as the staff prepare for a new school year. This particular chapter takes place in the Hogwarts staffroom, where the Minister for Magic has arrived and is chatting to the teaching staff whilst they wait for things to get ready for the Sorting. (Presumably some sort of drinks and nibbles are being circulated).

This is set in an alternate universe which was impacted by The Saint, and some characters and events have diverged from canon.

Further Note: 'Professor Snape' is the Hogwarts history of magic teacher in this universe (Lily) Snape, and 'Mr. Snape' is her husband, (Severus) Snape whose official job title is school caretaker (though at times it encompasses considerably more than might be expected from so plain a title).

* * *

While the heads of houses were all busy overseeing the pupils returning for the new school year (with the amiable flying instructor Engelbert Cornwallis standing in for Minerva over in Gryffindor, since she was busy elsewhere in her capacity as Albus' deputy), in the staffroom the other members of the teaching staff had been entertaining the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, and his accompanying auror. It was to this gathering that Albus, having concluded his discussion with the head-girl about events on the Express, made his way. He found the Minister (plus auror – the latter Harald Eriksson if Albus recalled correctly) currently in the immediate company of the assistant transfiguration teacher, Professor Rupert Badgersley.

"Apologies for not being here to greet you, Minister." Albus skilfully inserted himself into the conversation. "There was a slight fracas on the Express this afternoon, and I was attempting to clarify some of the details, whilst they were still fresh in the mind of my head-girl. Fortunately, order was apparently restored with no long-lasting damage to any persons or property, so far as I can determine…"

"That's quite alright." the Minister waved his hand airily. "I remember what it was like to ride on the Express in my own day. Always some sort of hijinks going on. One September, Brigsby and I stuffed a load of enchanted gauntlets… Ahem, well, given company, perhaps it wouldn't be quite such a good idea to be indiscreet. Wouldn't want to belatedly lose my house any points, after all." He grew melancholy for a moment. "Great friend, Brigsby. Died in the war – back in '73 when things were just starting to really get going. Bloody werewolf ambush. Anyway, no offence taken in your pre-occupation elsewhere – job must come first and all that, and Professor Badgersley here has been entertaining me with tales of his days in China." He evidently noted the assistant Transfiguration teacher frown, and hastily corrected himself. "Well somewhere out that way."

"Quite, quite." Albus said.

"And the Minister had just been informing me of what his predecessor's son is currently upto these days." Rupert said. "Apparently he's been in _yet another_ smash."

'Barty' Crouch junior, the son of former minister Bartemius Crouch, drove muggle racing cars on their 'grand prix' circuit. Albus supposed it was a form of rebellion against his parent, which had been going on for about a decade now, and was doubtless the result of the lack of attention he had received from him as a child. Barty Crouch junior had once described his job as 'exactly the same as my father's but at higher speed and with a lot more appreciative an audience'.

Albus supposed that politics _did_ feature a lot of going round and round, trying to overtake rivals, and always ending up back where one started…

"Yes, well, without violating the statute, Barty _does_ take advantage of some sort of cushioning charms, I suspect." the Minister said.

Albus was quite sure that Barty did no such thing – that part of the fun for him _was_ the risk of serious injury (or of death) at any moment.

"Your days out in the east, Rupert?" Albus glanced at his teacher, and shifted the topic onto what he felt was safer ground. Cornelius regularly took advice from the former minister, and one could never be sure what might get back to him. Barty Crouch senior still had a lot of friends in high places and was inclined to be paranoid at times – especially of people taking too close an interest in his family.

"Oh, you know: Hong Kong, Malaya. My encounters with Gilderoy Lockhart, out that way." Rupert said modestly.

"Speaking of Gilderoy and his exploits," Albus began, before being distracted by Severus blowing into the room. The caretaker had a carefully respectful expression fixed on his face, as he approached the Minister.

"Excuse me, Minister." Severus briefly bowed his head in deference to the man. "Severus Snape. Hogwarts caretaker." he introduced himself. "I just want to be absolutely clear that nobody at your end of things had invited the journalist Ms. Rita Skeeter to attend the sorting? I apprehended her earlier this evening on the school grounds – and have already consulted with the auror office on criminal activities she is suspected to have been engaged in at that time – but I thought it best to check if she in fact had any remit from yourself to be here before turning her over to the aurors?"

"Good grief, no!" the Minister exclaimed, turning red. "After what she wrote about me last month in that _Witch Weekly_ article, I should certainly think not!"

"Thank you Minister." Severus gave a mirthless smile – which promised ill for Ms. Skeeter, Albus felt.

"I must contact Alastor Moody. Make sure the aurors throw the book at her, if they _have_ got her finally on something." Cornelius said, as Severus politely bowed and withdrew. "Surprised she let herself get caught snooping around here – she's practically an invisible woman, at times, by all accounts – but still, it says just how top-notch your security clearly is."

Albus had had suspicions for years about just how Ms. Skeeter collected some of her stories. He hadn't ever actually mentioned said suspicions to anyone, despite her likeliest method for collecting such being technically highly illegal, since he'd been saving it up for blackmail, should a need ever arise. And, bar the odd pre-arranged interview, Ms. Skeeter had never actually ventured _into_ Hogwarts before now in pursuit of the more dubious side of her trade, preferring to 'ambush' any staff or pupils she was interested in on Hogsmeade visits. Presumably tonight's sorting had been one story she felt too big to miss, however, and which required her actual presence _in_ the castle – and since she'd not apparently managed to successfully wangle an invite from anyone…

Ah well, Albus might be able to find some way to capitalise on this anyway, depending on exactly what Ms. Skeeter was charged with. He _was_ the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, after all.

"Severus takes security here _very_ seriously." Albus said brightly to the Minister. "On occasions he has been known to require _me_ to prove who I am during drills."

The Minister hesitated a moment.

"Umm, is it, err true, do you know? The stories and rumours about the last war and the Battle of Hogwarts? And your caretaker?"

Albus suspected that the Minister was referring to the fact that although there wasn't any _official_ acknowledgement, it was widely suspected in some circles that Severus had gone toe-to-toe with Lord Voldemort in person, and driven him off at the height of the fighting. As far Albus had been able to determine in the immediate aftermath of the battle that had indeed been approximately what had occurred, although with the addition that Lily had been involved _too_. Since Lily was a muggle-born she tended to be completely discounted from most versions of what had happened currently in circulation in the corridors of power.

"There is, perhaps, some truth in them, if the reports of several castle house-elves are to be believed, who say that they witnessed it." Albus took his usual line of response. "Of course, they are truly devoted to him, and perhaps, as with all servants so devoted to a master or mistress, their accounts may be a _touch_ exaggerated." And as usual, Albus was equally careful to play down the reliability of such accounts. Albus didn't _like_ to do that, but it was better all round if attention was focused on him, and his caretaker and history of magic teacher left alone by the politicians.

"Still, an extraordinary man, no doubt." said the Minister. "Why exactly _does_ he stay on here, and not pursue – say – a career with Gringotts or in the aurors?"

"I believe he enjoys putting overly reckless Gryffindors in detention." Albus said, and to his surprise heard a choking sound coming from the vicinity of his right elbow. He glanced briefly in that direction to see Professor Snape had happened to be standing there at this precise moment, and was blushing furiously for some reason which momentarily escaped him. Then he deduced it likely had something to do with married life and the internal workings of the Snape household…

* * *

Author Notes (Subject to update):

As a reminder, this is an alternate universe where some characters and events have diverged from their canon counterparts.

In this particular universe Rolanda Hooch (the canon flying instructor) was killed in 1980, one of the two 'teacher' casualties during the summer holidays of the Battle of Hogwarts. Although Rolanda's ghost is often seen since then flying the castle and grounds on a phantom broomstick, Engelbert Cornwallis was brought in to replace her as an instructor. (The other teacher who happened to be on the grounds that day who was killed was Sybill Trelawney, who was moving her things in having been recently appointed divination teacher by Albus Dumbledore. Sybill did _not_ leave a ghost.)

The Hogwarts staff roster in the Saint Potter universe has more teachers on it than in canon, some of the subjects with heavy teaching loads having additional staff. Professor Badgersley is one of these additional teachers.

Albus has been obfuscating events regarding the Battle of Hogwarts since 1980, since he doesn't want Severus and Lily Snape to have the sort of bother/attention that he's had ever since his duel with Grindelwald. For now the Snapes do not attempt to put the record straight as far as the magical public goes since they don't want additional hassle (and it suits them to be underestimated by many).

Thank-you to those who've reviewed.


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